Lieser New Face of Community Education

While Brent Lieser may be a new face to the community of Sauk Centre, he is certainly familiar with his new role as community education director.

Lieser, who began working in the district July 1, comes from the Royalton School District where he served jointly as activities director and community education director for the past three years. Prior to the joint venture, Lieser spent eight years as activities director and a teacher.

“Sauk Centre is such a unique community and has so much to offer,” Lieser said. “I’m excited to be a part of a very proud community with movers and doers who want to leave it better than they found it.”

In Lieser’s full-time position, he will oversee all current community activities such as Kid Connection and coordinate school-related events in the coming year.

“I have a lot of respect for what Don Peschel started with Kid Connection, and I want to continue overseeing the well-being of that program to make it sustainable for the long haul,” Lieser said. “Daycare is a premium in Sauk Centre, and I want to continue offering a resource for parents with school-aged children, yet be cognizant of the established businesses already in town.”

He also hopes to develop new events and activities, not only for the children in Sauk Centre, but adults as well.

“Our job is to cater to and create community stakeholders,” Lieser said. “Those direct stakeholders are parents, but then there are the empty nesters and people without any kids. How can Sauk Centre schools be a place for them, too?”

Lieser is no stranger to creating large goals and finding ways to achieve them.

In his 11 years spent in Royalton, Lieser developed Senior Social Days, where older members of the community worked cohesively with students and staff in creating educational opportunities for people who might not have the chance to participate in school-sponsored functions regularly.

“It was always a surprise,” said Lieser of the different activities he coordinated. “We always held it on the second Wednesday of the month, because I knew we would have school then.”

Growing up on a family farm near Browerville, Lieser understands the impact and costs of education. Lieser spearheaded an outreach committee for Royalton’s $28 million building bond, giving him an opportunity to further involve himself in the community.

“This committee was essentially a dog and pony show,” Lieser said. “We spoke to groups throughout the town on why [the bond] was important. It was a chance for them to ask questions and for us to discuss the costs and benefits.”

Lieser’s dedication to the community resulted in a fitness center that offered more aerobic and cardio classes, as well as more youth sports activities and non-sports-driven activities.

When Lieser considered a career in Sauk Centre, he thought back to his time as a substitute teacher in the early 2000s.

He spent some time in Sheila Flatau’s social studies classroom.

“I’ve always regarded Sauk Centre as a great place for families to settle in,” Lieser said. “I can remember being a substitute teacher in town and the kids were so respectful. It was amazing.”

The director was also impressed with the established connections between the school and local businesses.

“The welding camp caught my eye,” Lieser said. … “I’d love to take that to another level with other trade industries.”

As Lieser steps into his new role in Sauk Centre, he is eager to maintain the relationships and events that have molded the community, while also creating new opportunities for people of all ages through the public school system, Holy Family School, churches and other organizations.

“Our goal in the community education office is to make Sauk Centre a leader in area activities,” Lieser said. “We want to be progressive and on the cutting edge, constantly evolving in a positive way.”

While Lieser has spent the last month adjusting to his newfound role, he and his wife, Tera, and their 8-month-old son, Krew, are looking towards the future – becoming familiar faces in the Sauk Centre community.